Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

[Vincent]

Hi,

I just bought a JEM from this guy in the USA. He doesn't seem to be able to find a company that will ship for under $240 (FEDEX).

Has anyone shippped guitars overseas before in a standard hard case? Which shipping company did you use and how much did it cost?

I hear you can get shipping for about $150

Thanks

Vince

 

[suislidE03]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

I shipped my old Ibanez RG570 to a guy in the UK through USPS for $70. We lied a bit on the shipping info but hey... he took responsibility if anything were to happen.

 

[Vincent]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

anyone else ship guitars?

 

[Sune]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

I am getting a custom guitar from the us, and the luthier showed me some different shipping options, and I took the most expensive one, and it was about 70$, and then 12.5$ insurance of the package. So you can do it alot cheaper than the offer you got. And since I took the most expensive ones of the choices I got, it also means I'll get it the fastes way, which is basically 3-5 business days. Cheap for such a fast service, and with insurance it's only about 82,5$, that's cheap.

 

[theodie]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

USPS will be the best and cheapest way to ship.

Vincent, tell him to go to his post office and check out the rates there!

 

[CharlieNC]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

Dude, whatever you do, DO NOT SHIP USPS PARCEL POST!!! They ship it on a boat, it takes anywhere from 4-8 weeks and they completely deny responsibility once it hits customs in your country. FedEx is expspensive, but one thing they are factoring into the price is the service they provide and customs brokerage. They personally file all forms and make sure your package is not "lost in international territory." I have shipped through both services and the FedEx seems exspensive, until USPS has lost your package and you are left with no guitar and no money. This happened to me once when I shipped an amp to Ireland. It took 3 months to get there and was a very nasty situation, mostly because USPS implicitly states no liability in Parcel Post shipments. I was basically screwed, until the amp finally cleared customs 3 months later. With FedEx they personally see your guitar through customs and to your door. Pricey, but well worth it in the end. Of course, there is no guarantee USPS will screw up, but hey, you never know. Just my personal experience, take it or leave it. Good luck.

 

[theodie]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

Dude, whatever you do, DO NOT SHIP USPS PARCEL POST!!! They ship it on a boat, it takes anywhere from 4-8 weeks and they completely deny responsibility once it hits customs in your country. FedEx is expspensive, but one thing they are factoring into the price is the service they provide and customs brokerage. They personally file all forms and make sure your package is not "lost in international territory." I have shipped through both services and the FedEx seems exspensive, until USPS has lost your package and you are left with no guitar and no money. This happened to me once when I shipped an amp to Ireland. It took 3 months to get there and was a very nasty situation, mostly because USPS implicitly states no liability in Parcel Post shipments. I was basically screwed, until the amp finally cleared customs 3 months later. With FedEx they personally see your guitar through customs and to your door. Pricey, but well worth it in the end. Of course, there is no guarantee USPS will screw up, but hey, you never know. Just my personal experience, take it or leave it. Good luck.

I never ship USPS by boat! I usually use their 4-7 day service. I think it was something like $110 when I shipped a guitar to the UK.

 

[CharlieNC]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

cool. so i guess your talking about their Air Mail Service. if i recall correctly i would have done that, but the amp exceeded the particular dimension requirements for going to Ireland. sounds weird right? it is, but USPS has their own set of package dimensions for each country which limits what method you can use to ship... that's how it worked out for me anyway. although i don't expect others had as much trouble as i did. well, if it wasn't for bad luck... he he he

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

I shipped a guitar USPS Air Mail service to the UK, and it ran right at $100. It actually took closer to 2 weeks, but it still got there unharmed.

 

[DesertRose]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

I've been shipped a total of 2 guitars, 2 box of Elixir/Ernies, 01 x Ernie volume control and some nitty gritty stuff.
The guitars were shipped by FEDEX. The first cost me 200$ USD and 2nd one cost me 240$ USD, i don't know why there is an increase in pricing. But they took me 1 1/2 weeks to arrive at my door step. The best thing is that they still charge me service tax of 5% on the axes.
The strings and Ernie balls came by DHL, they arrived around the same timing too, but I paid like 35$ SGD on the shipping which is about 20 bucks USD and not taxed.
I don't think there are other shipping companies which cater cheaper shipping services unless you forego several options such as insurance, care of equippment some of them mentioned above. And above all, they may take a longer time.

 

[big_black]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

I shipped my old Strat (w/hardcase) to Y2Stevo in Ireland and it cost about $90. It was Air Mail, and got there in about 4 days. Use USPS.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

Hi,

I just bought a JEM from this guy in the USA. He doesn't seem to be able to find a company that will ship for under $240 (FEDEX).

Has anyone shippped guitars overseas before in a standard hard case? Which shipping company did you use and how much did it cost?

I hear you can get shipping for about $150

Thanks

Vince

USPS... Global priority airmail should run under 100$ for a normal guitar ( I paid 150 for an EXPLORER)

BTW, this thread is the first time I´ve ever heard of USPS losing something internationally, even surface gets there... takes forever, but WILL get there

The quality of service has been great and the Price is significantly cheaper, USPS shipping has actually gotten to the point of being a deal breaker for me on Transactions with US Sellers

 

[Kev]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

this is not good...

I just paid $77 and it arrived with in 2 weeks. Dont let them fleece you.

 

[CharlieNC]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

USPS... Global priority airmail should run under 100$ for a normal guitar ( I paid 150 for an EXPLORER)

BTW, this thread is the first time I´ve ever heard of USPS losing something internationally, even surface gets there... takes forever, but WILL get there

The quality of service has been great and the Price is significantly cheaper, USPS shipping has actually gotten to the point of being a deal breaker for me on Transactions with US Sellers

actually, the amp did get there (i've had a couple rambling posts through out this thread) it took 12 weeks, and needless to say the customer was not happy. but he didn't want to pony up the dough for to have FedEx handle it. so hey, what can you do?

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

I used the USPS to send a Strat to Mattt in the UK. It arrived unharmed. Took about 10 days I recall. Had insurance, tracking number, required signature, etc.,. I can't remember how much it cost. The import duties were rather steep for the buyer though.

I also just shipped a much more expensive Les Paul to a guy in Australia via Fed Ex and it went very smoothly as well. But, it was very expensive. ~275 iircorrectly.

 

[No_Where_Fast]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

Does anyone know the UK Customs implications if a guitar is being loaned from a US citizen to a UK citizen? I.e. not a post-sale shipping but simply lending a guitar?

 

[big_black]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

Does anyone know the UK Customs implications if a guitar is being loaned from a US citizen to a UK citizen? I.e. not a post-sale shipping but simply lending a guitar?

I don't know, it's kind of hard to prove whether or not someone is "loaning" the item, or has sold it. I would guess you still have to pay customs on it. I know you still have to for gifts. I have shipped to Canada and the UK, the guy in Canada had me write on the box that it was a returned, repaired guitar. I don't know if that reduces customs charges. You can always pack it really well and underinsured it. That is what they base the customs charges on.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

Does anyone know the UK Customs implications if a guitar is being loaned from a US citizen to a UK citizen? I.e. not a post-sale shipping but simply lending a guitar?

You need to be able to prove that the guitar was originally (and is still) owned by the US citizen... IF the US Citizen can provide a bill (or the guitar was made in USA), no customs charges apply as it´s a "re-import" and duties were already paid once ... the UK citizen will still have to pay import tax, but at least the US citizen won´t get screwed over for lending it out when he gets it back.

 

[Vincent]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

Thanks guys.. looks like I'll just have to bite my lip and pay the USD$200 + for getting my JEM over here. It had better be worth it!!!

 

[CharlieNC]

Re: Shipping guitar overseas from USA HELP!!

Vincent, look at it this way.

at least you KNOW you'll have a guitar to resell if you decide you don't like it. so worst case scenario will be you'll take a small cut in the money. but then again, you may really love the guitar in which case the guaranteed safe shipping method will be worth every penny!